Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas (Oct 2022)

 Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas

3-NIGHT BAHAMAS CRUISE

10/14/2022: Port Canaveral, Florida

10/15/2022: Nassau, Bahamas

10/16/2022: Perfect Day at Coco Cay, Bahamas

10/17/2022: Port Canaveral, Florida

It's time to get back at sea! This time we're heading on Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas. A bit of a birthday gift to me from my wife. We wanted a new ship (to us) with whatever ports. At this point we're limited on any new ships since we've done so many of them. Usually on lesser night cruises we'd stick to older ships like this. Nothing wrong with it at all.

Overall we had a great time on the ship, much of the layout with similar to Mariner of the Seas, mixed in with some favorites we just had on Harmony. For me I had high expectations since coming off of Harmony a short time ago I personally had one of the best cruises ever. Overall I say Independence was near the top for Royal ships we've been on. Great feel to the ship, layout was easy to get around. Plenty to see and do. Shows overall were good, we had Grease, which we just saw on Harmony. Also ice skating shows were good as well. General food was a bit on the lacking side for us, could blame covid for part of that.

Port's on this trip were great. Stayed on during Perfect Day at Coco Key. Great chance to relax while everyone else got off. Nassau was the best trip here we've had out of countless times. Really found a gem excursion here. Which we will tell you about below.

Overall we had a really great cruise. Nice to get away and just relax. One of the few times we've been able to just disconnect and get away and really come back feeling like we were just on vacation. Highly recommend this ship for a short getaway cruise. Some great ports and excursions mixed in with an already fun ship, you too will have an amazing time!

Now let's get to the tour of the ship, but first we invite you to check out some of our videos from this cruise and the other cruises we've been on. Make sure to hit that subscribe button on our YouTube channel as well, absolutely free to do and it helps us out a lot!

Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas - FULL SHIP TOUR (CLICK HERE)

DECK 2

Conference Center

Starting off on deck 2 at the Conference Center on the ship. Not much that goes on here to the general public.

DECK 3

Dining Room (Deck's 3, 4 & 5)

Much like Harmony and some of the other ships we've been on, we find ourselves in the massive, 3 level dining room. We felt the food was decent, everything was cooked fine, flavors could have been a bit better across the board. Nothing to run away from at all. I've always felt Royal Caribbean has one of the best dining room options out of all of the lines. I was a bit disappointed at lunch, just a basic menu, in years past they had full menu's and buffet stations in the dining room, but I'd say covid killed that. I also want to add that in early 2023 Royal Caribbean will be updating their menu's so this will just be an old reference point.

Such a stunning dining room.

Extra anchovies please!

Pork Bao Buns, these were ehh. Last time I remember them being great.

Beef tenderloin, pretty solid.

Photo Gallery

Took a photo of the photo gallery. Sounds funny in my head. Here is where you can check out and purchase all the photos you've taken throughout the cruise. Also you can purchase other small electronics here and some photo albums as well.

Royal Theater

Welcome to the main theater. After getting off Harmony a few months prior, Grease was still in our heads, not the best of shows, but if you're a fan then you will enjoy it. So we weren't rushing this time around to check out the show, but ended up going. It was mildly entertaining, preferred the cast on Harmony to Independence. Overall still a fun show and worth checking out. I will take an assumption that in the near future Royal Caribbean MIGHT be moving away from these Broadway style shows and go back to their own original production shows. Same thing Norwegian is doing right now. Not it's just a guess by me and no way any facts towards this, but with cruise lines looking to save some money, this will likely be a good cut due to how much it costs for a Broadway show vs an original. So soak these in before it's too late.

Studio B

Studio B is always a favorite for us, this time was no different. We had such a great time seeing the shows here. These weren't our favorites but still very enjoyable.

DECK 4

Bolero's

Always a busy bar at night, here is Bolero's. It is their Latin inspired bar on the ship.

Casino Royale & Bar

Here is the casino on the ship. We broke even here. Very spacious and like usual I always get lost trying to find my wife in here.

Did you know you can head down these stairs on the promenade to the Casino?

Izumi

This was a very small venue, nothing like Harmony. Went to check out dining in here but it was just too cramped. Such a shame though, this venue deserves a larger space.

Playmaker's Sports Bar

Speaking of larger spaces, Playmaker's was huge. It was a fun time sitting and relaxing and watching games while eating some delicious food. There is an extra fee for food, but it was so worth it. Highly recommended.

Look's like a ton of seating, but during games this place fills up!

The casino also starts out in here.

Regular nachos and tuna nachos. Both pretty good for the price.

These were the buffalo chicken egg rolls. Holy cow! So damn good!

Schooner Bar

A RC staple is the Schooner Bar, usually host to a lot of trivia and other games. Does get pretty crammed at times, a little hard to walk at moments.

DECK 5

Ale & Anchor

We loved hitting up this bar on our sailing. Reminds us of being at the UK pavilion at Epcot, minus the fish and chips, which you can get on the ship, but it's no Epcot fish and chips. The bar was usually a hot spot, but you can usually always find a seat to sit it.

Ben & Jerry's

Did you know if you stay in the room with above the shops with the obstructed view of the promenade you're giving a free ice cream everyday of your stock? Also some other perks and an awesome picture of a cow in your stateroom. How awesome is that for the lucky ones to be able to grab this room. Kind of a hidden secret. Also the room isn't even higher in priced. A design flaw gone right!

Cafe Promenade

This little cafe you will find free coffee, also some specialty coffee options and some small bites. Nothing too crazy, but if you're looking for something in between meals you will be good.

Champagne Bar

Only past by this place once or twice, really never saw anyone here. Seemed to be a quiet spot during the day and maybe at night as well. It's a little off the path of the promenade while still being on the promenade. Great card or book reading spot when you want to be near the action but far enough away to have some quietness.

Guest Services

Across the way was Guest Services. Any issues, come here. Only thing that I didn't care for was the lack of knowledge when it came to the daily guides, since they were not printed and the staff was taking my camera and taking screen shots and not really understanding to just print me a copy. Sucks, because up to this point I had every single copy from every single cruise we've been on.

Library

Looking to get away from it all? Check out the Library. I was going to go in and check it out, but they usually had private functions here a lot, so I didn't want to bother them.

Next Cruise

Ready to plan your next Royal Caribbean cruise? Head to the Next Cruise desk to do that. You know after 36 cruises, we've never once booked while on the ship. We usually always book right online with the cruise line or a 3rd party site, depending on pricing and/or perks.

Retail Shops (Promenade)

Here are some of the shops along the Royal Promenade. Usually we go in and out of these at night when we want to kill some time in between events.

Royal Promenade

The highlight of the ship is the Royal Promenade, here you have tons of places to sit and have a drink, or grab a slice of pizza or just sit back and relax. For us we can also have this awesome view from our stateroom a few decks up. This is the main hub of the ship.

Shore Excursions

If you're looking to book shore excursions, then here is where you can do that. We usually book before getting on the ship just to help ensure we get something we're interested in doing.

Sorrento's Pizza

Some call this the best pizza at sea. Those probably haven't had Carnival or MSC or Celebrity before. Personally I think it's towards the bottom of the list as for cruise ship pizza. It's basically frozen crust. Now I've noticed about 80% of the time the pizza isn't too crispy, the 20% of the time it is the pizza moves up a few notches and get's better. On a normal day I'd say this is your typical Chucky Cheese pizza, nothing to go out of your way for. Have had it numerous times on numerous lines, not a fan.

Star Lounge

Used for bingo and other events, here is the large Star Lounge. When there isn't an event going on this is just another large quiet lounge to sit back and relax in. Since it's tucked away, it's going to get even quieter with less foot traffic in and out of the lounge.

And BINGO was his name-o!

Sugar Beach

Along the promenade you will come across Sugar Beach, a fun little shop with tons of candy options and fun stuffed things.

Vintages

Need a nice place to relax and have a glass of wine, make sure to check out Vintages. Ton's of wine and also wine classes that should be on your to-do list. Always a great and informative time.

DECK 9

Stateroom 9283

We decided to book an interior promenade view stateroom. This overlooks the entire promenade. Which we were a bit hesitant on the noise level, but really unless you go to sleep before 8pm, it's not too bad, at least where we were on the top of the promenade rooms. Always fun sticking your head out of the blinds and looking at others doing the same. Kind of like a community. Really great room overall. Very spacious and just enjoyable. One of my all time favorite rooms.

DECK 11

Chop's Grille

Such a weird location, right outside the buffet you will find the steakhouse on board. We opted not to dine here during our cruise. After so many cruises and having dined at so many steakhouses, we kind of don't want to spend the money on it since it is a usual go-to for us at home.

Fish & Ships

On the pool deck is Fish & Ships, which is a small eatery (for an extra cost) with some great looking seafood options. Wished we had tried this out, looked really good.

Giovanni's Table

Across from the steakhouse is Giovanni's Table, this is the Italian restaurant on the ship. Another option we did not try out.

Pool Bar

Here is one of the pool bars on the ship.

Resort Pool & Sport Pool

Here are the resort & sport pools on the pool deck. I personally loved this pool deck and how they set it up with the two pools. Of course it get's on the crowded side at times, but overall not as bad as a ship with one main pool area. Overall I'd give this a 8.5 out of 10 for ship pools.

As you can see the two pools and tv in the middle, also a few hot tubs. Now this does not include the solarium, over the side hot tubs, kid's splashpad and waterslides. So much for everyone.

Solarium

Adult's only section is the solarium. Busy as usual on sea days. Earlier in the mornings for us are the go-to timeframe. Get in for a few hours before people roll out of bed. The pool was a bit on the chilly side for us, but still enjoyable. Also want to mention there are actually two sides to this pool. While at first glance it looks like one long pool, it is not. Under the bridge is where the pools have a small break between them.

Here is a better view of that break under the bridge of the pool's I was talking about. Also this side had seats, which was pretty cool.

Spa & Fitness Center

Looking to work out on your trip, here is the place to do it. I don't usually go into the gym fully since there are always people in there and I don't like taking picture's of people working out. But upon taking a short walk around I do have to say it was a very nice gym area.

Splashaway Bay

This is the water area for the kids. Slides and many other fun water features in this area. Also a lot of room for them to run around and play.

Whirlpool's

Who doesn't love a nice whirlpool on the ship? These have become some of our favorite spots on these ships. Especially when you look out over the edge and you see nothing but ocean as far as you can see. 

Or if you're in Nassau and decide to stay on the ship. Which we DID NOT do, we probably found the only reason to get off in Nassau. You can check that out below.

Windjammer Marketplace

Here is the main buffet on the ship. We haven't really been eating here on the past few cruises, which has been a better choice at times. Always feel the quality at the buffet's, especially on Royal aren't the best. Also you will have Giovanni's Table and Chop's Grille located right in the front area of the Windjammer Marketplace.

DECK 12

Adventure Ocean

For the younger kids, here is their hangout spot.

Fuel Teen Club

For the teens, here is there section of the ship.

Johnny Rockets

Not sure why we never see this place opened during our cruises on this line. Just in a weird, afterthought spot on the ship. When I always walk by this it reminds me of that small town diner that has been abandoned for years but the city never does anything with it. Kind of sad for the brand. Originally it was probably a great thought, but would like to see the brand be switched out on the older ships to something different and more vibrant.

Running Track

Here is the famous running track. As you can tell by the steady image, I do not run, I walk...in the opposite direction of which I am supposed to. Like usual.

Sky Lounge

Another bar on the pool deck. This one being a deck up and with plenty of great seats overlooking the rest of the pool deck.

DECK 13

Independence Dunes

In the mood for mini golf? Enjoy, it's free!

Sport's Court

Up in the Sport's Court area you have a lot of different things to check out. Everything for all different ages and activity level. Want to learn to surf? You can do that. Want to play basketball? You can do that. Want to just sit and do nothing? You can do that too.

This is the flowrider. Free of charge unless you're wanting some private lessons. Also depending on when it is opened they usually have it opened to everyone or opened to more advanced riders.

How about the rock climbing wall. One of these days I will try this again. Haven't done it in years.

Pringles!!!!!!

These were the seats I was talking about, where you sit back and do nothing at all.

The jumping skypad. Whatever that idea was.

How about a game of basketball?

Also here you will come to the slides. From a design standpoint it didn't make much sense to put them here since the pools are not even near this location. Understandable it was probably because of space issues.

DECK 14

Viking Crown Lounge

Here is the relaxing Viking Crown Lounge. Love the views here. Also on certain nights you have the silent disco, which has become a favorite for us.

DECK 15

Escape Room

Here is the location of the Escape Room on the ship. Never been to it, never seen inside it. Comment below if you've ever done it, let us know if it's worth checking out next time.

PORTS OF CALL

Nassau, Bahamas

BEFORE YOU SKIP THIS, WE WANT TO SHOW YOU THE BEST EXCUSRION WE'VE TAKEN HERE!!!

We are back in Nassau which had to be our best visit ever. Surprised it took us this long to find this gem. We went over to the Blue Lagoon Island. This was truly paradise. A short 30 minute boat ride from the dock of Nassau to the lagoon. Amazing water views along the way, totally worth it alone. Then to this amazing large lagoon, with tons of seats and plenty of places to kick back and relax. There are a few other spots that you can pay extra for with more beach access and all that, but you really don't need to. Other than that, they offer a lot of excursions with their dolphin swims and plenty of other things to do. This by far was one of the best excursions we've ever been on.

Welcome to Nassau, you're looking very beautiful today.

One of the boats that take you over to Blue Lagoon.

Welcome to heaven on earth.

This is just a small section of what the lagoon offers. Starting with the water park area, which is an extra cost. I went over to get pricing but the person really didn't help me out. They do have an office near here so you can check out all that in there.

So much room to grab a chair and relax. Never felt crowded at all. Also this is the far end of the lagoon in the right of the image. If you take a float, you will end up near the front by the water park. Not sure if that was an everyday thing, but the current brought us over on that day. Loved it.

Couldn't have asked for a better place to relax.

Yes the water was that beautiful, no filter needed.

Plenty of different beach areas on the island. The pier to the right is where you're dropped off. You have the waterpark to the left of the pier (right in picture), followed by the lagoon. To the right of the pier (shown in this picture) is this beach area and shops (behind us). In the far back area is the dolphin swim and other animal's to check out.

Here is where they do the dolphin swim. Well one of the many in the area back here. Dolphin's were so playful, even for us. We stood on the pier and I was doing this blowing kissing trick I used to do at SeaWorld, the dolphins reacted the same way here. So odd, but absolutely amazing!

Also included is a lunch meal. Which consists of some sides, chicken and a choice of a burger or hot dog. Might have had a couple other options. Overall the food was good. Burger and dog were both what you'd expect. Chicken, fries and rice pretty much the same. Nothing bad at all honestly.

Perfect Day at Coco Key

Onto Perfect Day at Coco Key. At this point, this is still one of the best private islands, but compared to Blue Lagoon it give's it a run for the money. Still a ton of fun on this stunning island. Always well maintained and always a spot to grab and relax in the pool and beach. During this trip we decided to stay on the ship and enjoy our time, since we were just here and really didn't feel like doing all that today. But we always love this private island. As for things to do, this is the top tier for private islands. Beauty still goes to Half Moon Cay, nothing to do there but beach. One day we will come during warmer months!

Thank you for checking our our review of Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas. Stay tuned for our next cruise on Celebrity Apex!

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